Tree ID - Michigan Nature Association

Michigan Nature Association

Protecting Michigan’s Natural Heritage Since 1952

www.michigannature.org 517-655-5655

Tree ID

Written By: Joan Chadde Edited By: Phil Bergquist

Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. List characteristics used to differentiate between different species of trees.
2. Use a tree key to identify a tree.
3. ID ten common Michigan tree species and tell one characteristic to aid in

identification.
4. Compare deciduous and coniferous.

Supplies needed:
- Trees of Michigan book
- Pencils
- Magnifying Glasses
____________________________________________________________

Introduction
Today, we’re going to learn how to identify trees, and at the end of this session you
should be able to identify the ten most common trees in our area.

How many of you can tell me the name of a common Michigan Tree?

- American Basswood - Balsam Poplar
- American White Birch - Black Ash
- American Beech - Black Cherry
- American Elm - Black Gum
- Box Elder - Eastern Cottonwood
- Bur Oak - Honey Locust
- Hackberry - Northern White Cedar
- Northern Red Oak - Pin Oak
- Red Maple - Shagbark Hickory
- Silver Maple - Sugar Maple
- Trembling Aspen - Yellow-Poplar

- White Ash - Yellow Birch

Why is it important for people to be able to identify trees?
- Different trees give us different things; i.e. timber, food
- Trees have different soil, climate requirements
- To decide which trees are appropriate for planting in a particular area
- How long it takes for a tree to reach maturity and when the should be harvested
- Trees value to wildlife

What are the parts of a tree?
- Leaves
- Trunk
- Branches
- Roots
- Seeds

How are trees different from one another?
- Leaf shape and size
- Needle length
- Needle characteristics (flat, sharp, color)
- Presence of hairs
- Leaf thickness
- Bark (color and texture)
- Cone size
- What habitat it lives in (wet, dry, shade, sunlight)
- What part of the country it lives in (geographic area)

What are the characteristics of the leaves on a tree?
- Color (year-round/changing colors)
- Shape (pointy, round, singular, many, flat, needle-y)
- Size (long, short)

What are characteristics of the trunk of a tree?
- Bark (papery, smooth, rough)
- Wood (color, hard, soft)

What are the characteristics of the branches of a tree?
- Branches are alternate or opposite

What are the characteristics of seeds on a tree?
- Shape (winged, nut/berry, cone)

How do we classify a tree?

There are many kinds of trees all over the world, but they can all be put into one of 2
categories: deciduous or coniferous.

Who can tell me what deciduous or coniferous mean?

- Deciduous leaves are broad and flat and change color and fall off tree in winter
- Coniferous trees grow cones and their leaves are needle-shaped and remain green
year-round; they fall off throughout the year, not all at once in the fall.

Can anyone name a tree that is deciduous?
Maple, Oak, Elm, Aspen, Ironwood, Birch, Walnut

Can anyone name a tree that is coniferous?
Spruce, Pine, Hemlock, Cedar

When you approach a tree for the first time, looking at the leaves, branches, trunk and
seeds helps us to figure out which type of tree we are looking at. Here’s how you do it…

Let’s look at the characteristics we came up with for each of our parts. Now, which
characteristics are for deciduous trees and which are for coniferous?

Leaves Deciduous Coniferous

Trunk Change colors in fall; fall off in winter Evergreen
Branches Flat, wide Pointy, needle-like
Seeds Smooth, rough, papery Rough

Alternate, opposite Alternate, opposite

Winged, nut/berry Cone

So you can see that we have some characteristics that are only deciduous and some only
for coniferous, but a lot are both. That’s why you always need to start with deciding if
the tree is deciduous or coniferous by looking at the leaves and seeds. Those are always
different. From here, you look at the other characteristics. You always want to try and
look at what will help you narrow down the tree choices.

Activity: Identify the Trees Around You
ID at least five different trees and bring back a leaf for each new tree you find. (From the
ground around the tree, don’t pick a live leaf off the tree) Share the trees you identified
with the group and the reason why you identified them as that particular tree. Use the
tree ID chart below on a separate page to make it easier.

Activity: Leaf Relay Race
Have the kids split into groups of. Each member of the relay team will need to run into
the woods and find a fallen leaf for the tree you call out.

To help the kids, hold up an example of each leaf as you call them. Make sure you choose
trees in the immediate area.

Continue calling out different trees until every member of each team has gotten to find a
leaf. The team with the most correctly identified leaves wins the race.

Test What You Learned!
1. List characteristics used to differentiate between different species of trees.
2. Why is tree identification important?

3. ID ten common Michigan tree species and tell one characteristic to aid in
identification.

4. Compare deciduous and coniferous.

Sources
Michigan Forests Forever Teacher Guide http://mff.dsisd.net/
Bill Cook, MSU Extension Forester for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. cookwi@msu.edu
U. P. Tree ID http://uptreeid.com/

What Trees Did You Find?

Maple

Oak Pine
Aspen

Ironwood

Birch Hemlock
Cedar

Walnut

Spruce

Tree Identification Chart

Fill in the boxes for each tree you see. Use the ID key and your new vocabulary
words for help.

Be sure to collect a leaf from each tree to bring back to the group!

deciduous with alternate and simple with leaves and papery my tree is BIRCH

branching leaves not lobed bark

Now you try!

Common Michigan Trees

Courtesy of www.outdoor-michigan.com

There are more than 100 species of trees; here are just a few of the more common ones you will find.

American Basswood - Tilia americana is a medium-sized
tree native to Northern America. It has a domed crown,
reaching a height of 20-35 meters, with a trunk diameter of 1-
1.2 meter. The bark is gray with narrow, well-defined fissures.
Trunks tend to have constant width up most of the tree,
tapering only at the top. The twigs are reddish-green. The
leaves are simple, alternately arranged, ovate to cordate,
inequilateral at the base, 10-15 cm long and broad, with a
coarsely serrated margin and an acuminate apex. The fall
color is yellow-green to yellow. The buds have two bud scales.

American Beech - Fagus grandifolia is native to North
America. It is a deciduous tree growing to 70 to 80 feet tall,
with smooth silvery-gray bark. The leaves are dark green,
simple and sparsely-toothed with small teeth, 6-12 cm long,
with a short petiole. The winter twigs are very distinctive
among North American trees, being long and slender (15-20
mm by 2-3 mm) with two rows of overlapping scales on the
buds. The wood is harvested for uses such as flooring,
containers, furniture, handles, and woodenware.

American Elm - Ulmus americana is a species of elm
native to eastern North America. It is an extremely hardy tree
that can withstand harsh winters, can live more than 250
years, and can grow up to 100 feet. This tree is mostly used
ornamentally and for shade.

Balsam Poplar - Populus balsamifera is a native of North
America. It is a medium sized tree growing up to 85 feet. The
name is derived from the pleasant balsam smell of the
opening buds and leaves in spring, produced by a sticky gum
on the buds which also helps protect the buds from insect
damage. The balsam poplars are light-demanding trees that
require considerable moisture but are tolerant of very cold
conditions, occurring further north than other poplars except
for the aspens. This is a fast-growing tree.

Black Ash - Fraxinus nigra is found in most of
Northeastern United States and most of eastern Canada. This
tree was used by the Native Americans for making baskets.
This is a small to medium-sized tree, and the first to lose its
leaves in the fall. You would normally find this tree near
swamps. This is one of the trees in which you may find the
Emerald Ash Borer.

Black Cherry (Wild) - Prunus serotina is a species of
cherry native to eastern North America. This is a medium-
sized tree whose bark resembles burnt potato chips. The
cherries turn 'black' when they are ripe. The timber is used
for cabinetry and is the only cherry tree from which the
timber can be used. They grow fast and have great shade.

Black Gum - Nyssa sylvatica is a medium-sized deciduous
tree which grows around 65-80 ft tall with a trunk diameter
of 20-40 inches and is native to North America. The national
champion was 141 feet tall. The leaves turn purple in autumn,
eventually becoming an intense bright scarlet. The flower is
very small, greenish-white in clusters at the top of a long
stalk. The fruit is a black-blue, ovoid stone fruit, about 10 mm
long with a thin, oily, bitter-to-sour flesh. This tree grows in
swamps or places that have low drainage. The timber is hard
and difficult to split, especially after drying. It is mostly used
for pallets and firewood.

Box Elder - Acer negundo is a species of maple that is found
throughout North America. It is a small to medium-sized tree
with a bushy crown. This is the only maple that has more
than 3 leaflets. Unlike most other maples, the tree is
dioecious, so each tree grows only one gender of flower and
both a "male" and "female" tree are needed for either to
reproduce. This tree is an invasive species in some areas of
the United States. The wood is weak, so there is not much use
for it.

Bur Oak - Quercus macrocarpa sometimes spelled “Burr
Oak”, is native to the eastern and midwestern United States.
This is a medium-sized tree ranging from 70 to 80 feet. The
Bur Oak is a tree that prefers to grow in the open, away from
canopy. For this reason, it is an important tree on the eastern
prairies and is often found near waterways in more forested
areas, where there is a break in the canopy. It is also a fire-
resistant tree. The acorns are distinctive in having large caps

that wrap much of the way around the nut, with large
overlapping scales and often a fringe at the edge of the cap.
These are the largest of any North American oak and are an

important wildlife food; black bears sometimes tear off
branches to get them. However, heavy nut crops are borne

only every few years.

Eastern Cottonwood - Populus deltoides is one of the
largest North American hardwood trees. The average height

for this tree is 80 to 100 feet. Although the wood is rather
soft, Cottonwood bark is often a favorite for artisans. The
bark, which is usually harvested in the fall after a tree's death,

is generally very soft and easy to carve.

Hackberry - Celtis occidentalis is a large tree native to
North America. Hackberry grows in many different habitats,
although it prefers bottomlands and soils high in limestone.

Its shade tolerance is greatly dependent on conditions. In
favorable conditions its seedlings will persist under a closed
canopy, but in less favorable conditions it can be considered

shade intolerant. One way to distinguish this tree is by its
warty bark. The wood is soft and rots easily but is sometimes

used for furniture. The berries are edible, but rarely eaten.

Honey Locust - Gleditsia triacanthos is a deciduous tree
native to eastern North America. It is a medium-sized tree
ranging from 65 to 100 feet and can live about 120 years.
They tend to lose branches in windstorms. They commonly
have thorns on the branches. The legume pulp is edible and
sweet; it was used for food by Native American people and
can also be fermented to make beer. The wood itself is rarely

used. It is a fast-growing tree, but poor for shade.

Northern Red Oak - Quercus rubra is an oak in the red
oak group. It is a native of North America. It is a medium to
large tree ranging from 80 to 160 feet. Northern Red Oak is
easy to recognize by its bark, which features bark ridges that

appear to have shiny stripes down the center. A few other
oaks have bark with this kind of appearance in the upper tree,
but the Northern Red Oak is the only tree with the striping all
the way down the trunk. The acorn is oblong and is no longer
than 1 inch long. The wood is used for flooring and furniture.

Northern White Cedar - Thuja occidentalis is a species of
the evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family. This is a

small to medium-sized tree. The bark is red-brown and
furrowed, and peels in narrow, longitudinal strips. The
foliage forms flat sprays with scale-like leaves 3-5 mm long.
The cones are slender, yellow-green ripening brown, 10-15
mm long and 4-5 mm broad, with 6-8 overlapping scales.
Although not currently listed as endangered, wild Northern
White Cedar populations are threatened in many areas by the
very high deer numbers encouraged by hunting associations;
deer find the soft evergreen foliage a very attractive winter
food and strip it rapidly. The oldest known living specimen is
more than 1,000 years old, but a dead specimen with more
than 1,500 growth rings has been found. These very old trees
are, despite their age, small and stunted due to the difficult

growing conditions.

Paper Birch / Canoe Birch / American White Birch -
Betula papyrifera is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching

20 m tall (exceptionally to 35 m) with a trunk up to 80 cm
diameter. The bark is white, flaking in fine horizontal strips,
and often with small black marks and scars. In ones younger
than five years the bark appears brown with white lenticels,
making the tree much harder to distinguish from other trees.

The leaves are alternate, ovate, 5-12 cm long and 4-9 cm
broad, with a doubly serrate margin. Paper birch is a pioneer
species. It needs high nutrients and a lot of sun. Birch bark is

a winter staple food for moose. The nutritional quality is
poor, but is important to wintering moose because of its
sheer abundance. Although white-tailed deer consider Birch a

"secondary-choice food", it is an important dietary
component. In Minnesota, white-tailed deer eat considerable

amounts of paper birch leaves in the fall. Snowshoe hares
browse paper birch seedlings, porcupines feed on the inner

bark, and mice eat the seeds.

Pin Oak - Quercus palustris is native to the eastern United
States. This is a medium-sized tree ranging from 70 to 80 feet
and generally lives for 90 to 120 years. The acorns, borne in a

shallow cup, are hemispherical, 0.4-0.6 inches long, green
maturing pale brown about 18 months after pollination. This

tree is mainly used as an ornamental plant.

Red Maple - Acer rubrum is also known as Swamp Maple
or Soft Maple. It is one of the most common and widespread
deciduous trees of eastern North America. Throughout most

of its range, Red Maple is adaptable to a wide range of site
conditions. It can be found growing in swamps, on poor dry
soils, and anywhere in between. This is a medium-sized tree
and can live anywhere between 100 to 200 years. The upper
side of the leaf is light green, and the underside is whitish.
The leaf stalks are usually red, as are the twigs. The leaves
turn a brilliant red in autumn. This is mostly an ornamental

tree, but the sap can be used for maple syrup.

Shagbark Hickory - Carya ovata is a common hickory tree
in North America. This is a medium-sized tree, growing 70 to

80 feet tall. You can identify this tree by its shaggy bark,
except for younger trees, which have smooth bark. The
branches can extend as far as 25 feet. The nuts are edible and
have great flavor. The wood is used for smoking meat and
sports equipment. The Native Americans used the timber for
bows. This tree grows around oak trees and prefers well

drained soil.

Silver Maple - Acer saccharinum is a species of maple
native to the eastern United States. It is a medium-sized fast-
growing tree and the most common after the red maple. On
mature trunks, the bark is gray and shaggy. On branches and
young trunks, the bark is smooth and silvery gray. The seeds
are the largest of any maple and are a food source for wildlife.

The Silver Maple has brittle wood and is often damaged in
storms. The roots are shallow and fibrous, and easily invade
septic fields and old drain pipes. It is a vigorous resprouter,
and if not pruned, it will often grow with multiple trunks. It is
widely used as an ornamental tree because of its rapid growth
and ease of propagation and transplanting. They are highly

tolerant of urban conditions, which is why it is frequently
planted next to streets. Although it naturally is found near

water, it can grow on drier ground if planted there.

Sugar Maple - Acer saccharum is the largest American
maple, reaching heights of 80 feet or more. The fall color is
often beautiful, ranging from bright yellow through orange to
fluorescent red-orange. The leaf buds are pointy and brown-
colored. Sugar Maple is often confused with Norway Maple,

though they are not closely related. Sugar Maple is most
easily identified by clear sap in the leaf petiole (Norway
Maple has white sap), orange fall color (Norway Maple is a
simple yellow), and shaggy bark on older trees (Norway
Maple bark has small grooves). Also, the leaf lobes of Sugar
Maple have a more triangular shape, in contrast to the
squarish lobes of the Norway Maple. The timber is hard and
is used often for flooring and furniture. Bowling pins and
alleys are manufactured with Sugar Maple. You can also tap

this tree for maple syrup.

Trembling Aspen or Quaking Aspen - Populus
tremuloides, is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of
North America. It is a medium-sized tree, usually 66 to 82
feet at maturity, with a trunk 20-80 cm diameter. The fruit is
a 10 cm long pendulous string of small capsules, each capsule
containing about ten minute seeds embedded in cottony fluff,
which aids wind dispersal of the seeds when they are mature
in early summer. Fall colors are usually bright tones of
yellow; in some areas, red blushes may be occasionally seen.

Tulip-Tree or Yellow-Poplar - Liriodendrom tulipifera is
a large tree growing more than 100 feet and having a

diameter of 3 to 4 feet. The leaves are 4 to 6 inches and turn
yellow in autumn. It grows rapidly and is an important

timber and shade tree. The wood is valuable for veneer and
many other uses. Songbirds, game birds, rabbits, squirrels,
and mice feed on the seeds. Whitetail deer graze the young

growth.

White Ash - Fraxinus americana is one of the largest of the
ashes, growing to 35 meters tall. It is native to eastern North

American. The leaves are 20-30 cm long, pinnately
compound with 7 (occasionally 5 or 9) leaflets, 6-13 cm long.
They turn yellow, red or purple in the fall. The average life of

a white ash is 100 years. This tree is used for baseball bats
and tool handles.

Yellow Birch - Betula alleghaniensis is a species of birch
native to eastern North America. This is a medium-sized tree
ranging from 60 to 70 feet tall. This tree is most important to
the native birches. Yellow birch reflects the color of the tree's
bark. This tree is used for flooring, cabinetry, and toothpicks.